Lock for automobile steering-wheels.



I H. uw@ aL. BLAHA. Lock ros Auomosne MEERING WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB, 9, 19|?.

Patented June 26, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IIIIIIIIIIII H. Nw & L. BLAHA.

LUCK EUR AUTOMOBILE STEERING WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. L91?.

1,231,050. l Panmim QQ, 191'?.

/'fj g l.' /6 //2 ranged that by proper UNITED STATES PATENT oEEI-e.

HUGO NEU, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ANI) Il'UDWIG .BLAHA, 0F LYNDHURST. Nn

LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILE STEERING-WHEELS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, Huso NEU, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, and LUmvre BLAHA, a subeet of the Emperor of Austria, residing at yndhurst, county of Hudson, and State of' New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for Automobile Steering-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a lock 'for automobile steering wheels for preventing the theft or tampering with the vehicle by unauthorized persons in the absence of the driver.

In a present form of lockingr devices to prevent the theit of 4an automobile, it is i customary to lock the steering Wheel against rotation; This type of device creates a iire hazard in that. it prevents the movement or steering of an automobile in case of a fire in the immediate vicinity ci' Where a car providedwith this form of device has been left standing. This feature is such a menace to publie safety that various cities and localitieshave'enacted ordinances, ete., prevent'- ing the use of this kind of a device. It is one of the objects of this invention to render the steering apparatus of an automobile ineffective, but at the same time allowing the car to be guided in case of emergency.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and eiiicicnt locking device permanently attached to thesteering mechanism of an automobile and so armanipulation the Steering wheel may be made to rotate independently of therest of the steering apparatus.

`Another object is the provision of a locking means which may be cheaply produced due to the fact that it is comprised of few and simple parts.

" A 'further object of the invention is the production of an automobile lock, which may be easily installed upon either new or old cars. Most of the locking devices o this type on the market at the present time are A so constructed-as to require so many alteraftions ofc the steering apparatus before they can be installed as to substantially render such devices impractical'.

'A still further object is the provision of locking means for an automobile which is easily made operative, neat in appearance and which has its working parts completely spmncanonpf Letters Patent. Patented June 26, 1917.V

inclosed so that they can bc manipuiiated l only by a person provided With a key.l

Other objects ot' our invention will manitest themselves upon a reading of 4the 'fol'- lowing specification.

While this invention has been set 'forth in 1 a certain preferred embodiment, it will be understood that modilications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

Figure l is a perspective of our ,locking means applied to an automobile steering wheel.

Fig. is side elevation oit the lock.

Fig'. 3 is a view partly in section showing the position of4 parts when the steering Wheel is 'free to rotate on the steering columny Fig. l 'is a section taken on line LL-A of Fig 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view' partly in section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing the position of the parts when the steering Wheel .isllocked to the steering column. l

In .the drawings there is shown a steering column il wherein is mounted a. steering post 2, the latter of which carries at its upper end a steering wheel 3 provided With spokes `or arms L centering; in a hub 5, havin a. po lygonally-sliaped recessed portion, ormed integrally with or secured to the hub 4 such as by riveting, Welding or the like, is a housing Which latter member is adapted to accommodate a locking means, such asa pin lock., yA collar 7 is provided With an upper anda lower compartment 7 and 7b, respectively, the upper compartment being ycomplementary to the hub 5 and adapted to receive the same, While the lower eompertment is circular in shape4 and adapted to house a polygonal nut 8 secured to the steering post 2. The polygonal same contigui-ation as-the interior upper art ofthe collai- 7, and is positionedjust a ovey the end of the steering column which .does not extend the fnl-l length of the. steering post, hut only suliciently far so as tobel in close proxlmity surface of the nut 8 and have its, end -inclosed by compartment ..7. i Agbushinglor` vsleeve 1f preferably having a diameterzcprresponding to that of the steering coluni'ri .1, may be inserted between the upper surface` nut 8 is of the p to, or abut against, 'the lower of vthe nut Sand the adjacent upper surface of the hub 5. This sleeve will lend rigidity to the adjacent parts and tend to eliminate any rattling thereof, which yfeature would be especially true if the sleeve 1 was formed integral with the hub 5, so as to constitute an interior depending portion thereof. Secured to the upper edge of the collar 7 is a in 9 which projects into the housin 6 and 1s adapted to coperate with certain e ements contained therein. An L-shaped slide member 10 is adapted to coperate with said pin and locks the collar 7 in a raised or lowered position depending whichever way the collar as been moved. The general vfeatures of the lockin -mechanism may com rise a lock of the or mary' type in which t e tumblers thereof are ada ted to be raised upon the insertion of the ey in the key hole and includes'a barrel 11 carrying at its extremity a cam member 12. Thevcam member 12 is adapted to move the L-shaped slide 10 against the tension of sprin 13 in a horizontal plane, so that the en thereof in engagement with the pin 9 clears the latter, thus permitting the collar 7 to be moved in a vertical direction. Assuming that it is desired to free the steering wheel or disable thev steering apparatus by inserting a key 'in the key hole and turning the same, the cam 12 w1ll move the L-shaped slide member 10 in a horizontal direction (toward the left in Fig. 5), so that its lower end clears the pin 9 and by pushing upwardly on thecollar cient until the` polygonal' portion of the collar 7 disengages the nut 8 on the steering post, and the collar 7 be retained in its operated position due to the pin 9 riding on the upper surface of the slide member 10. (See l Fig. 3). In this position the steering wheel 3 may be rotated independently of the rest of the steering apparatus and Jthus render it impossible to start the car from the drivers seat. However, it willbe noted that no other part. of the steering aplparatus is disabled and by manipulating t e front wheels byhand, the car may be pushed aside in case o -an-emergency, or when desired to move it a short'dlsta'nce.

When it isdesired to fasten the steering wheel to the steering post, by means of the vkey the collar 7 may be lowered to the position shown in Fig. 5. In this position the 155 polygonal portion of the collar 7 registers with ,the corresponding vsides of the nut 8, thus 'securel fastening these two members together an` locking the steering wheel to the steering post. e0I It will be noted that the lower edge of the collar 7 is spun over inwardly so as-.to bring it into engagement with the outer surface of the steering-column 1, thereby preventing the entrance or. insertion of foreign` t5 objects-such as 'dust or instruments insteering apparatus ineffective.

it may be moved upwardly a distance suiriformed in said com tended to render ineffective the locking means. To afford an easy grip for the manipulation of the collar 7 its lower half is knurled.

From the above it is obvious that'to use the locln'ng means herein described all that is required on the part of the driver is to insert a key into the lock and move the collar 7 upwardly. This will effect the re- -lease of the steering wheel and render the When desired to use the 'steering wheel for driving the car, all that is again required is to insert the key and move the collar downwardly into engagement 'with the hub on V they steering wheel. p

While We have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of our invention, We do not Want to be limited to the precise details of construction illustrated, as changes may be readily made without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a locking means for steerin wheels an extension secured to the hub o a steering wheel and having av polygonally-shaped recess, a fixed member carried by the steering ppst and having an exterior complemental surface, and a sleeve slidably mounted and adapted to engage the fixed means on the"'s1,eering post and' fit into said recess, whereby said steering wheelv is ,locked against independent rotation.

2. In a locking-means for' steering wheels, an extension secured to the hub of the steering wheel and having a polygonally-shaped recess, a nut secured to the steerin post and having an exterior complementa surface, and a sleeve slidably -mounted and adapted to have its exterior surface it intosaid recess and its interior surface enfraging the periphery of the nut secured to t ve rsteerileil post whereby said steering4 wheel'is lock against independent rotation. i

-3. The combination with' a post 4 and a steering wheel, of a locking device including an extension having a compartment 1] carried by the hub ofV the steering' wheel, said compartment being adapted to accommodate a sleeve arranged to be slida'bly' mountedon the steering post for movement y to and from the steering wheeland adapted 120 to be held against rotation on said steerin post, the upper exterior surface fus'ai sleeve being polygonally vshaped vand adapted to register with aconiplemental ,rertment,` and loc'lir-- ing means eectiv'eww en' said zy sleeve 1s moved away from the steering-wheel, Whereby said steering wheel' 1s to the steering post. 4. In a locking means forteering wheels,

,a nolygonally-shaped recess, a polygonally said portion being adapted to fit 'over said an extension secured to the hub andvhaving entensai'f ieeess and the inferior surface of snped nut carried by the steer'il'xg post and` nut, the engagmg Surface of said portion 10 a `slidaalble member adapted to eoperate with depending upon the position of said slidable said extxnion and said nut, said slidable member. i

member, having a portion of its exterior suri HUGO NEU.`

face complementaily shaped and adapted to l LUDWIG BLAHA. 

